LANSING — Bills that would deny unemployment benefits to people who refuse to take drug tests required by employers and that would mandate community service for people receiving public assistance were approved in the state Senate and a House committee Wednesday.

The drug-testing bill, which passed the House Commerce Committee on a 12-4 vote with three Democrats passing on the issue, would deny unemployment benefits for people who either refused to take a drug test required by an employer or tested positive.

The community service bill, which passed the Senate on a 27-9 vote, would require people receiving food stamps or other welfare benefits to participate in community service or other work-related activities in order to be eligible for the assistance.

Republicans called the bills common sense.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with requiring folks to have a little skin in the game,” said Sen. Joe Hune, R-Hamburg Township. “All they have to do is a little community service to get their benefits.”

But Democrats said the GOP was targeting low-income people for political purposes leading into the 2014 election season, as Republicans continued to push bills that the party’s conservative base would support.

The bills continue a trend that began earlier this year with proposed legislation that targets public assistance recipients for suspicion-based drug testing, and a proposal that allows benefits to be denied if a child is truant from school. Those bills have passed the House and await action in the Senate.

“Wholesale drug testing without suspicion is simply illegal,” said Shelli Weisberg, spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union in Michigan. “If we’re going down the road of drug testing for people who receive benefits, then we better start drug testing legislators.”

State Rep. Jon Switalski, D-Warren, offered an amendment to the drug-testing bill that would do that, but it failed.

“If the majority feels that drug testing for people on the public dole is good policy, then it’s clearly in the interest of good public policy to test all of us on the public dole,” he said. “But this is a bill about the elections in 2014 and nothing else.”

Anti-tax activist Bill McMaster noted that the bills don’t take into account Michigan’s support in a 2008 ballot initiative for the use of medical marijuana.

“It’s somewhat mysterious to me that you’re trying to eliminate the will of the people on the medical marijuana front,” he said. “A good number of people are employed successfully who are using medical marijuana.”

Sen. Vincent Gregory, D-Southfield, said it didn’t make sense to make someone — such as a single mother, for example — have to pay child care costs because of state-required community service. He offered an amendment — which ultimately failed — that would require the Department of Human Services to pick up child care costs while parents performed community service.

“We need to give residents a helping hand and not force them to do other things to get assistance from the state,” he said.

The drug-testing bill (HB 4952) now moves to the full House. The community service bill (SB276) moves to the House for consideration

“Wholesale drug testing without suspicion is simply illegal,” said Shelli Weisberg, spokeswoman for the American Civil Liberties Union in Michigan. “If we’re going down the road of drug testing for people who receive benefits, then we better start drug testing legislators.”

Does she not realize that many of us had to pass drug tests to get our jobs and could be subjected to random drug tests to keep our jobs?

Sen. Vincent Gregory, D-Southfield, said it didn’t make sense to make someone — such as a single mother, for example — have to pay child care costs because of state-required community service. He offered an amendment — which ultimately failed — that would require the Department of Human Services to pick up child care costs while parents performed community service.

“We need to give residents a helping hand and not force them to do other things to get assistance from the state,” he said.

It's just making them give back to the community that they are receiving assistance from. Like getting paid for a job. Crazy how stuff like that works.

I love the drug testing but community service is bs. What if you're disabled and can't do any community service? What if you're a single mother, working and taking care of your kids? When are you supposed to do community service?

I love the drug testing but community service is bs. What if you're disabled and can't do any community service? What if you're a single mother, working and taking care of your kids? When are you supposed to do community service?

If you can find time to spend your free money, you can find time to do community service. You can pick up trash pushing a stroller in a park

I love the drug testing but community service is bs. What if you're disabled and can't do any community service? What if you're a single mother, working and taking care of your kids? When are you supposed to do community service?

I'm sure there will be exception. Community service could be lots of things, it isn't all physical labor. They could find something for everyone. Those with kids could bring them along and work at some type of community day care center, watching other peoples kids while they do other work or attend school.

If you can find time to spend your free money, you can find time to do community service. You can pick up trash pushing a stroller in a park

exactly. Single mothers don't usally send their kids to school at some point? I understand if they are infant, but you cant tell me someone who doesn't work, doesn't have time to do a few hours of community service. She just needs to put the remote control down if she cant find time. I also agree if you are on unemployment you should have to do drug tests, because how are you suppose to find a job if your dirty? That's right, you don't.